This invention relates generally to power generation devices and, more particularly, to an electric generator to which an electrical accessory may be temporarily attached or mounted.
Power generators may be characterized as either fixed or portable. A fixed power generator is commonly used as a back-up or emergency power supply for a dwelling or other building during main or utility power failure. Such fixed power generators are typically large and heavy, and, as such, do not lend themselves to convenient portability. Portable power generators, on the other hand, are much smaller and lighter. These power generators are typically used in light industrial applications or in a variety of consumer uses, such as in camping applications or to power a relatively small number of circuits in a building during a utility power outage.
Because of their smaller size and weight, portable generators, in some situations, may be unable to provide the power demanded of a particular load. Therefore, parallel connection kits have been developed to enable two generators to be connected in parallel to provide a single power output with sufficient current for the load while maintaining the output voltage of the paired generators the same as for a single generator. An example of a parallel connection kit is illustrated in U.S. Pub. No. 2006/0081392, which discloses a parallel connection kit that is mounted on an attachment frame that is rigidly affixed to a generator.
While the parallel connection kit disclosed in the /392 publication overcomes some of the drawbacks of previous parallel connection kits, i.e., sprawling wires, leads, and circuitry boxes, the rigid connection of the input box adds to the size and weight of the generator. This can be particularly troublesome for a user since the permanent affixation of the parallel kit requires that the parallel kit be transported when the generator is transported, even though the parallel kit may not be necessary. Additionally, the size of parallel connection kit and the permanency of the connection significantly limits the ability to mount other accessories to the generator, such as a transfer switch, work light, etc.